Typically, air conditioning units employed to provide cooled air, such as refrigeration units and evaporation units, and units employed to provide heated air, such as furnaces or heat pumps, are mounted upon the roof of a structure. It is mandatory that such units be mounted level or horizontal. Predominately, however, the conventional roof has a slope. This is a source of considerable consternation.
In accordance with conventional prior art practice, a first visit must be made to the structure upon which the air conditioning unit is to mounted. During this first expedition, the slope of the roof is determined. Specialized equipment is required to make the determination. Thereafter, a fixed-angle frame is constructed at a remote manufacturing location, as is a fixed-angle plenum. A second visit is then made to the location to install the fixed-angle frame and mount the air conditioning unit. Nevertheless, due to slight sag at various roof locations, fixed-angle frames are often out of level after installation, and fixed-angle plenums often do not fit properly. Existing technology thus requires custom-built fixed-angle frames and fixed-angle plenums, or for those in the industry to have in their inventory a vast variety of different fixed-angle frames and corresponding fixed-angle plenums, which proves frustrating and very expensive.
After the air conditional is installed, it is necessary to connect the air exchange opening in the unit to an air exchange opening in the roof. This is usually accomplished with an accordion pleated duct fabricated of a flexible material. It is noted that the accordion pleats present an internal surface which interferes with the free flow of air between openings. Also, the conditioned air is moderated by the ambient temperature due to the thin wall material of the duct.
Given these and other deficiencies in the art, the need for certain new and useful improvements is evident. There is also a longstanding need in the art to provide a simplified way to install an air conditioning unit and to protect the conditioned air from the ambient environment.